Greetings from Florence, Day 1

^Sleepy layover in Paris (2 a.m. our time)

^My favorite adventure companions (Paris airport)

We love our Florence apartment

{More info here if you're interested in coming here}

night walk across the Ponte Vecchio (Duomo in the distance)

Other memorable moments:

~Sam throwing up in the taxi 

(but first politely asked for a bag and 

Greg luckily had a ziploc just in time)

~the funny host at the restaurant

who took us under his wing 

and treated us to free drinks

~Loving the chance to brush up on

my rusty French at the airport

~pain au chocolat and fresh grapefruit juice

~explaining bidets and the two kinds of flushing

for European toilets

We told the kids that

these are our theme words for our adventure:

flexibility

&

positivity

So far so good!

Comments

[ellen]

I totally forgot you were going this week! What a great trip! Let's get together when you return to the home land. And, keep on posting (how do you say that in Italian?!)!

[calibosmom]

I too forgot you were going this week. I cannot tell you how excited I am for you and your happy companions. Your apartment looks amazing. Can't wait for the frequent updates...

[andrea]

you do not know how pleased i am that you are giving a play by play. i love europe. i love it. i would live there if i could convince my husband that he would enjoy even one single aspect of it. which will never happen.

therefore, i will live vicariously through you for the next little while. please post pictures of pain au chocolat. also, any great shots of cobblestone would melt my heart. perhaps a little old widow dressed in black?

would it have been too weird for me to have joined your family for the trip???

[♥Shally]

OOOH. I am so jealous. I can't wait until my kids are a bit older and I can take them to Europe without having to pack diapers, sippy cups, toys, etc.

LOVE the apartment!

[Lindsay-ann]

Buona sera Annie
Che cosa fara stasera?
Your appartment looks wonderful and the street in Ponte Vecchio looks very atmosperic. I can't wait to see and hear more about your trip.
Here are some 'very' useful phrases!!!
Mi puo attaccare questo buttone?
Non voglio che mi estragga il dente.
Ha dei gemelli d'oro?
Ciao
Lindsay

[Bridget]

Wow. What an amazing adventure. Love those chairs in the Paris airport. So cool. I am so jealous of your trip and can't wait to take my kids to Europe someday. Someday...

[seven smiles]

sorry, I pushed a wrong button...
that last one's from me.
;)

[Anonymous]

Love that you are posting from your adventure! Keep it coming!

I think flexibility and positivity will be our new zen family chant/mantra for this new year. (Teens, tweens, drama queen... we have it all.)

happy exploring.
:)

[gab]

I could be flexible and positive about anything Italian. Except rodents.

Looks like a blast!

[Nells-Bells]

wow. how cool is this. what a great family vacation! i love your apartment there. beautiful. cannot wait for the next update.

[Michelle]

this post makes me so happy. yummy, yummy, yummy photos! Let's take both our families together one year when we are both old and rich!